Analysis of the Heat Transfer Performance of a Buried Pipe in the Heating Season Based on Field Testing

Yongjie Ma, Jingyong Wang, Fuhang Hu, Echuan Yan, Yu Zhang (), Yibin Huang, Hao Deng (), Xuefeng Gao, Jianguo Kang, Haoxin Shi, Xin Zhang, Jianqiao Zheng and Jixiang Guo
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Yongjie Ma: Zhejiang Huadong Geotechnical Investigation & Design Institute Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310023, China
Jingyong Wang: PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China
Fuhang Hu: Zhejiang Huadong Geotechnical Investigation & Design Institute Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310023, China
Echuan Yan: Faculty of Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Yu Zhang: School of Mechanics and Civil Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Yibin Huang: School of Water Conservancy and Transportation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Hao Deng: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Xuefeng Gao: School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Jianguo Kang: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Haoxin Shi: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Xin Zhang: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Jianqiao Zheng: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China
Jixiang Guo: College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-33

Abstract: Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems have been widely used in the field of shallow geothermal heating and cooling because of their high thermal efficiency and environmental friendliness. A borehole heat exchanger (BHE) is the key part of a ground source heat pump system, and its performance and investment cost have a direct and significant impact on the performance and cost of the whole system. The ground temperature gradient, air temperature, seepage flow rate, and injection flow rate affect the heat exchange performance of BHEs, but most of the research on BHEs lacks field test verification. Therefore, this study relied on the results of a field thermal response test (TRT) based on a distributed optical fiber temperature sensor (DOFTS) and site hydrological, geological, and geothermal data to establish a corrected numerical model of buried pipe heat transfer and carry out the heat transfer performance analysis of a buried pipe in the heating season. The results showed that the ground temperature gradient of the test site was about 3.0 °C/100 m, and the temperature of the constant-temperature layer was about 9.17 °C. Increasing the air temperature could improve the heat transfer performance. The temperature of the surrounding rock and soil mass of the single pipe spread uniformly, and the closer it was to the buried pipe, the lower the temperature. When there is groundwater seepage, the seepage carries the cold energy generated by a buried pipe’s heat transfer through heat convection to form a plume zone, which can effectively alleviate the phenomenon of cold accumulation. With an increase in seepage velocity, the heat transfer of the buried pipe increases nonlinearly. The heat transfer performance can be improved by appropriately reducing the temperature and velocity of the injected fluid. Selecting a backfill material with higher thermal conductivity than the ground body can improve the heat transfer performance. These research results can provide support for the optimization of the heat transfer performance of a buried tube heat exchanger.

Keywords: ground source heat pump; borehole heat exchanger; field test; geothermal energy; heat transfer performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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